On July 20, 1969, the most significant triumph of mankind — a triumph of thought, will, determination, and execution — occurred. On this day, over forty years ago, Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin alit on the Moon.
That object that illuminated our nights and our myths for millennia was finally being touched and explored by man.
Just nine years prior to this most monumental event, President John F. Kennedy challenged America’s best and brightest to “go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.”
On July 16, 1969, Kennedy’s vision was about to become reality as the mighty Saturn V rocket thundered toward space carrying Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, and Lt Col Michael Collins on their journey to the Moon.
We know the rest of the story. Neil Armstrong descended from the Eagle Lander and uttered the words that would be heard ’round the world:
That’s one small step for [a] man, and one giant leap for mankind.
(Watch the YouTube video to see this.)
History was made. Man had accomplished the “impossible.”
Celebrate this day.
Celebrate the achievement of thought, of rigor, of audacity.
Celebrate so that you too can define your own goals and proudly march toward them–and bravely grasp them.
Like the men and women who made this climactic event happen — the astronauts, scientists, engineers, and many others — you too can — and should — shoot for the Moon.
—
Shoot for the Moon because even if you miss, you’ll land amongst the stars.
